On their two previous efforts ('12's CoCo Beware and '13's self-titled album), Brooklyn-bred band Caveman have offered music that's something akin to sonic meditation, turning slowly on glassy synths, folky harmonies, and dressed up in somewhat exotic-sounding accoutrements. Around here we've always lovingly likened it to "vibe music, man".

But on their upcoming album Otero War the band have deliberately left the weird, dare-to-be-different world of indie rock and landed in more classic sounding territory. In doing so, high school mates Matthew Iwanusa, Jimmy "Cobra" Carbonetti, and co. may have found what Caveman was always supposed to sound like. "80 West", "Never Going Back", and "Human" hit in a much more immediate way, referencing time-honored touchstones like Springsteen, Dire Straits, and Fleetwood Mac, as well as contemporary pedal stompers like The War on Drugs and Future Islands.

The band recently hit our outpost at EAR Studio in Austin TX with the three singles they've used thus far to tease the new album, and I swear to god, if Caveman isn't a big freakin' deal by the time we close the books on 2016, something is seriously wrong with all y'all. Otero War is easily one of our most anticipated releases of the year. And so we say in all seriousness, all hail the mighty Caveman in this spectacular new session!

Transcript

You always had a good reason, but I don't need one at all. I never really thought you would believe someone who's been down all of the time. You let me in on your feelings and now they're easy to read. I never really thought you would believe someone who's been down all of the time. Because I cannot wait so long to say I'm leaving. Because of you. Yeah, I suppose that way of living would be easy. Because of you. So I keep them around, keep them around. There was a wave of good feelings. And that was harder on me. I never really thought you would believe someone who's been down all of the time. So I keep them around all of the time. Because I cannot wait so long to say I'm leaving. Because of you. Yeah, I suppose that way of living would be easy. Because of you. So I keep them around, keep them around. Keep them around, keep them around. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Because I cannot wait so long to say I'm leaving. Because of you. Yeah, I suppose that way of living would be easy. Because of you. Because I cannot wait so long to say I'm leaving. Because of you. Yeah, I suppose that way of living would be easy. Because of you. written in the winter so that was, you know, kind of a little like slower, darker song. For me, I like that one because it was one that I wasn't really writing for a long time. I took like a few weeks off and then wrote that and so I felt pretty good about it. And I think it hit-- - Hit right away. Never Going Back was like the first song kind of written for the album. I think that that finally made us feel like, "Okay, we can make a new record," which is cool. I think you need to get that out of the way so you can feel like, "Okay, we still kind of have it." That was just like made on an iPhone and then went from there. - That was the longest one we've played too. - Yeah. - Of the new songs. - Yeah, that's changed the most. Changed my mind in a lonely room. I won't take you down in the morning. So I'm wide awake when the day is done. Just a lie that leads me back again. Changed my mind when I fell for you. I wanna know what it's like but I can't pull through. So I'm wide awake. when the day is done. Just a lie that leads me back again. Ooh, never going back again. Ooh, never going back again. Changed my mind just to see what's new I wanna do what's right just to make it through. So I'm wide awake and the feeling's gone. Just a lie that leads me back again. Ooh, never going back again. Ooh, never going back again. Ooh, never going back again. Ooh, never going back again. Ooh, never going back again. - Our new record is called Otero War. It comes out June 17 on Cinematic Records. We recorded it in Brooklyn. Our friend Albert Di Fiore produced it, mixed it with Michael Brauer. It's a story that's going to come out eventually but there'll be like a video game for it. It's a whole story. Maybe I can't say that. I can say that? I don't know. The Indie Rock name to us is kind of just something that people always say. I think these songs are bigger sounding songs than what...if someone said this is like Indie Rock, they would kind of make it sound like something...you know, in their head, they'd be like, "Oh, that sounds like this." But yeah, but this is a bigger sounding record than that and that's not an insult to anybody who is proud to say that that's what they do. But I think it's just a different thing for us now. We want to get kind of over that. You wanna know when the feeling is gone Just wait around to see I'm only human Just to show it, letting you go now. You wanna act like you're seeing it all, but does it come for free I'm only human. Just to show it letting you go now. You wanna feel everything, just wait around and see everybody wants you along but nobody loves you 'till you're gone. What is it that you need? There's only one like me. Said I'll never want you along. Everybody loves you 'till you're gone. And you think about just the way it is Oh but you don't want to feel it, just want you to know you're needed. Just wanna wait 'till you're free of it all, then take over me, I'm only human. Just to show it letting you go now. You wanna act like you're seeing it all, the fear you couldn't see, I'm only human. Let me show it, letting you go now. You wanna feel anything? Is there a place for me? Everybody wants you along, nobody loves you 'till you're gone. What is it that you need? Another hand to read. Because everybody wants you along everybody loves you 'till you're gone. And you think about just the way it is Oh but you don't want to feel it just want you to know you're needed. And to seem like I'm never alone. And to seem like I'm never alone. And the reason you're sad when it's gone, because you never thought anything was wrong. No, you never thought anything was wrong.

Artist Bio

Caveman was born in New York in January of 2010, when a group of friends decided it was time to put aside their boyhood ways and start being men. The sound they crafted in that large, dark room is equal parts chamber pop, dreamscape, and horror film score. At a Caveman show you will hear four-part harmonies, spaced-out guitars, synths, and, yes, much drumming. This has been a gallant year for the band, as since their first birthday they have shared the stage with bands such as Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, White Rabbits, Here We Go Magic, Cursive, Amazing Baby, and Blue Oyster Cult. They recently went into the Loveboat studio with Nick Stumpf (French Kicks) to commit their songs to record.